HSE absenteeism level lowest on record

Significant and unexplained variations across different grades and hospital groups

Approximately 4,358 staff called in sick every day

The health service recorded its lowest ever annual absenteeism rate in 2015, despite the fact there are significant and unexplained variations across different grades and hospital groups.

The overall absenteeism rate for the 100,000-plus people employed across the public health service was 4.21 per cent. That means approximately 4,358 staff called in sick every day.

While that was the lowest rate on record since annual reporting on a health sector-wide basis commenced in ...